


Shining

by AnonEhouse



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Artist Steve Rogers, Cap-Ironman Bingo, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash, Renaissance Faires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 13:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5787526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonEhouse/pseuds/AnonEhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern day AU where Tony and Steve are the same age, both of them not long out of school, and meet at a renaissance faire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shining

(If you are reading this on any PAY site this is a STOLEN WORK, the author has NOT Given Permission for it to be here. If you're paying to read it, you're being cheated too because you can read it on Archiveofourown for FREE.)

 

To get into the spirit of things at the renaissance faire Steve had brought a pad printed to look like parchment paper, a couple of plain bamboo and bristle brushes and a good size bottle of black ink, all carried in a gray tote bag that he scuffed up a bit.

He didn't have anything really period accurate to wear, but he made an effort, putting lacing made from a leather colored bootlace on an old white shirt over a pair of baggy brown suede-look trousers he'd bought when he optimistically thought his exercise regime was going to bulk him up. To tighten the trousers he'd threaded a red scarf through the belt loops. At least he wasn't wearing a graphic tee and booty shorts, like some of the fair goers.

For the first few minutes he just wandered, taking in the sights and sounds and smells, before he took out his supplies and began quick, flowing sketches of the tents and stands, with people blocked in as shapes. It would be unethical to do actual portraiture without permission, and the Faire artists would no doubt be angry if it seemed he was taking their business, but no one could possibly resent harmless doodling, could they?

"Hey, you're Steve Rogers, aren't you?"

Steve looked up, blinking away the art-daze, at a fully armored knight. The armor was gorgeous, red steel inlaid with intricate golden arabesques. It looked like something a king might wear on feast days. "Uh, yes?" His fingers itched to draw that armor. The color would be lost, but the sleek, powerful lines would translate well into brush strokes. "Wait. How do you know me?"

"You're famous! Steve the artist!" The knight pushed up his visor and grinned. He was strikingly handsome, with large lively brown eyes and a meticulously groomed mustache. He looked around Steve's age. Steve was a little jealous of his face fuzz, which looked ridiculously good on him, where the most Steve had yet managed had been a reddish soul patch. "We went to Brooklyn College Academy together. Well, for a semester, and then I got transferred to Brooklyn Tech when they found my SHSAT results. That asshat Hammer had misfiled them."

"Oh. Um. I know you?" 

"Apparently not. Name's Tony. Tony Stark. No?" The knight produced such a sad puppy dog look that Steve couldn't help laughing. The knight grinned. "I was a goof-off and you were dedicated. We didn't have much in common, but I couldn't help noticing you."

From the way he stared, it was fairly obvious what he meant by noticing. Steve felt his cheeks warm. He was still a little uncertain about gay dating. Not uncertain in the sense that he doubted he was attracted physically to men, but uncertain in the sense that he wasn't sure if it was worth the potential heartbreak. He wasn't a one-night stand kind of guy and Tony sure looked like a player. But... nothing ventured, nothing gained. "Well, I... I'm sorry I didn't notice you." Steve lowered his gaze for a moment before looking straight into Tony's eyes. "I'm sure noticing you now." Tony's answering smile was wide and bright.

"I've got a thing. You know. Tournament. I can get you front of the ropes spot, if you want a good view for your drawing."

"That'd be great." Steve laid a blotter sheet over his drawing and folded up the pad. "You're going to ride in full armor?"

"Sure! Made it myself." Tony thumped his chest and started walking towards the roped off grassy area at the center of the Faire. "It's actually a gold-titanium alloy. Light and strong."

"Wow. Real gold?" Steve asked as he walked beside Tony.

"Eh. You know, I have money. I hope that doesn't put you off. I earned it myself. Well, Dad gave me start up funds, but I paid him back within two years."

"I don't... why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I have a feeling we could be a thing. A good thing. But I'm not gonna pretend to be something I'm not to try to get you to like me." Tony scowled. "Been there, done that, got the scars."

"You talk a lot." Steve added hastily, "I don't mind." Tony was a blabbermouth, but he was honest. And it sounded like he wanted more than a one-night stand, too. "I don't have money and I work two jobs. I hope that doesn't put you off."

Tony wrinkled up his nose. "Not put off, just wondering how we'll fit our schedules together. We'll work something out." Tony held out his gauntleted hand, and Steve took it. A few mundanes saw them and took photos. Tony grinned and waved with his other hand. Steve blushed, but it felt good that Tony was proud to be seen with him.

When they reached the grass one of the youngsters who worked as pages trotted up with a folding camp chair and set it down just inside the ropes at the middle of the lists. Another kid led up a huge, red horse wearing gold and red silk trappings and held the bridle while Tony mounted. 

Tony leaned down and grinned at Steve. "Gonna give me a favour?"

Steve thought a moment and then grinned. "Sure." He pulled the scarf out of his belt loops and tied it around Tony's left arm. "Now, you gotta be victorious or else my pants will fall down."

"So, either way, I win." Tony laughed and sat up, twitching the reins to guide his horse to the end of the list.

Steve chuckled and prepared to sketch his very own knight in shining armor.

**Author's Note:**

> A fill for the Armor square on my Bingo card.
> 
> Based on this prompt: “i knew you in high school and i ran into you at a renaissance fair wearing full knight regalia” (from a prompt tumblr no longer in existence).
> 
> Note*- Spent a ridiculous amount of time researching stuff that didn't wind up in the fic. Among other things, Tony was gonna be a blacksmith with a stall with various hand-crafted items [like this shop](http://www.masterblacksmith.com)) including necklaces with Celtic and Norse symbols (lots of google image searching) and ride a chestnut Friesian stallion (Friesians are great horses for knights, big, strong, beautiful, generally well-mannered, and graceful. They're nearly all black- in 1990 the breed society started testing all young stallions for the red gene & disallowing any that carried it. They still occur but are rare & naturally Tony searched until he found one. His horse looks like this one [ Renoir](http://www.redfriesianstallion.com)).


End file.
